In 1956, the year of Disneyland Dream*
the neighborhood was our social center
we roamed the backyards in little groups
our Mothers called us home for dinner
we played Red Rover and Red Light,
did our homework,
played Clue and Monopoly
watched Mickey Mouse Club, and Leave it to Beaver
time felt spacious and organically unfolding
Now two weeks here in Rungan Sari
culture shock, like an earthquake,
has settled into small rumblings
and I’m reminded of 1956
though I’m an adult now
everything in my entire world has been challenged
cold dry to hot humid, snowy to rainy
weather controlled amount of energy
to natural hot humid amount of energy
maybe 30% less
language confidence to language incompetence
professional competence to professional beginner
incessant pressure of too many things to do
to sureness that there is plenty of time to do
the things that MUST be done
life of constant movement and travel
to life in the neighborhood
where everyone I know is a few minutes walk away
life of planned activities
to one where things kind of happen
mono culture of Boulder
to culture of people from 15 countries
from spiritually diverse
to spiritually embedded
political American angst
to casual global conversations
great food variety to
rice as the staple food
no wonder my body had a terrible fit
of confusion and rebellion
now…what a miracle…
feeling well enough adjusted
got a few “tricks”
1. afterschool nap
2. prickly heat powder
3. lots of water
4. glasses of “pocari sweat” (electrolyte replenishment)
5. wear a wet towel around my neck
(Roommate, Doug gave me one that holds a lot of water
and doesn’t drip!)
6. sit under the ceiling fan
7. occasional treats of a few hours of a.c. in the bedroom
8. go out as little as possible from 10-4
9. go swimming at 4
10. relax and don’t fight it…just sweat
I teach only from 1-3 hours per day!
feels like a full time job
preparing and then resting
I’m loving my children
and will tell you about them
soon
Here I am not a therapist or a Hakomi Trainer
or a founder and director of Right Use of Power Institute
I am a friendly person, a teacher, a wife, an American, a Subud member
the pace is slower, time is more spacious,
pleasures and plans are simpler,
ambitions and expectations are scaled down,
the social world is smaller, the global world bigger
As I write now, the whir of the fan
suddenly stops, silence settles
it is 4:15 and the compound rests
for a few minutes while they
switch over to the generator for the evening
now the fan starts up again
stronger on the generator
*Disneyland Dream is the now national award-wining home movie my father made in 1956 of our family’s trip to Disneyland.
the neighborhood was our social center
we roamed the backyards in little groups
our Mothers called us home for dinner
we played Red Rover and Red Light,
did our homework,
played Clue and Monopoly
watched Mickey Mouse Club, and Leave it to Beaver
time felt spacious and organically unfolding
Now two weeks here in Rungan Sari
culture shock, like an earthquake,
has settled into small rumblings
and I’m reminded of 1956
though I’m an adult now
everything in my entire world has been challenged
cold dry to hot humid, snowy to rainy
weather controlled amount of energy
to natural hot humid amount of energy
maybe 30% less
language confidence to language incompetence
professional competence to professional beginner
incessant pressure of too many things to do
to sureness that there is plenty of time to do
the things that MUST be done
life of constant movement and travel
to life in the neighborhood
where everyone I know is a few minutes walk away
life of planned activities
to one where things kind of happen
mono culture of Boulder
to culture of people from 15 countries
from spiritually diverse
to spiritually embedded
political American angst
to casual global conversations
great food variety to
rice as the staple food
no wonder my body had a terrible fit
of confusion and rebellion
now…what a miracle…
feeling well enough adjusted
got a few “tricks”
1. afterschool nap
2. prickly heat powder
3. lots of water
4. glasses of “pocari sweat” (electrolyte replenishment)
5. wear a wet towel around my neck
(Roommate, Doug gave me one that holds a lot of water
and doesn’t drip!)
6. sit under the ceiling fan
7. occasional treats of a few hours of a.c. in the bedroom
8. go out as little as possible from 10-4
9. go swimming at 4
10. relax and don’t fight it…just sweat
I teach only from 1-3 hours per day!
feels like a full time job
preparing and then resting
I’m loving my children
and will tell you about them
soon
Here I am not a therapist or a Hakomi Trainer
or a founder and director of Right Use of Power Institute
I am a friendly person, a teacher, a wife, an American, a Subud member
the pace is slower, time is more spacious,
pleasures and plans are simpler,
ambitions and expectations are scaled down,
the social world is smaller, the global world bigger
As I write now, the whir of the fan
suddenly stops, silence settles
it is 4:15 and the compound rests
for a few minutes while they
switch over to the generator for the evening
now the fan starts up again
stronger on the generator
*Disneyland Dream is the now national award-wining home movie my father made in 1956 of our family’s trip to Disneyland.
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